Hame-fastener.



' No. 661,7!8. Patented 'Nbv. l3, I900.

s. w. HAYMAN.

HAME FASTENER.

Ap licatxon med Juiy B5. 1900;

(No Model.)

NTED STATE ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE IV. HAYMAN, OF DUSHORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAM E-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,718, dated November 13, 1900.

Application filed July 25 0- description, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,in which-- Figure l is a side elevation of the bottdin portion of a pair of hames with the fastener in place; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the lower end of one hame, showing the doubleloop strapretaining'device employed; Fig. 3,

a similar view showing a removable pivothar connecting the retaining device to the hame: Fig. 4, a side elevation of the lower end of a hame, showingtwo single loops employed in place of the double loop shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 5, a side elevation of a single loop formed with a removable pivotbar.

The object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly strong hame -fastener, adapted particularly for use on the hames of heavy draft-teams, in which the hames are provided with an adjustable strap to connect their lower ends, said strap passing back and forth in a zigzag manner between the hames a number of times and having more than one point of connection with each hame, whereby the adjacent parts of the strap will be in contact and will tend to move in opposite directions under an outward strain on the hames and the strain on the strap will be taken up at the loops in the strap and the adj usting-buckle will be relieved of a greater part of the strain.

The hames l are of any suitable construction, and to the lower end of each is pivoted a strap-retaining device 2, which consists of two depending diverging loops 3 and 4, whose adjacent side arms are jointed at their upper ends, said integral upper ends being connected by an integral cross-bar 5, which forms a pivot for the retaining devices and passes through the lower end of the hame and secures the retaining device thereto. The loop 3 is the inner loopthatis, it is nearest the rim on the collar against which the inner edge of the hame fits-and the cross-bar of one of the loops of each retaining device is provided with a roller or loose sleeve 6, which permits -serial No. 24,819. (No model.)

the strap to slide through the loop without friction against the crossbar. V

The fastening strap '7 is secured to the cross-bar of the inner loop 3 of the strapretaining device on one hame, is then carried to the retaining device on the other hame and passed outward through the loop 3 thereof, is then carried back to the firstmentioned strap-retaining device and passed outward through the loop 4 thereof, and is then carried back to the other retaining device and adj ustably secured to the loop 4 thereof in any convenient and substantial manner, preferably by means of a buckle 8, carried by a short strap 9, connected directly to the lower cross-bar of said loop 4. By means of this arrangement the fastening-strap 7 is connected to each hame twice, and the strain tending to separate the lower ends of the hames is brought on the strap in four places instead of at two points only, as in the ordinary arrangement of the hame-fastening strap, and the buckle is relieved of a large portion of the strain brought on the strap. In the ordinary arrangement of the hame-strap the buckle receives practically all of the strain brought on the strap, and the buckle-tongue soon cuts the strap or is bent or broken. In the present construction this difficulty is avoided, and an exceedingly strong and durable hame-fastener is produced.

Instead of forming the retaining device of one piece, as shown in Fig. 2, the upper ends of the side bars of loops 3 and 4 may be perforated for the passage of a rivet or screw 5, as shown in Fig. 3, said rivet or screw forming the pivot-bar of the device. This form of device is adapted particularly for replacing broken retaining devices or for adapting old-style hames for use with my improved fastener.

Instead of employing the integral doubleloop retaining device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings two single loops 9, as shown in Fig. 4, may be used. In this latter arrangement the two loops are pivoted side by side in the lower end of the hame and extend downward, their cross-bars being parallel and adjacent each other. This arrangement is of advantage when it is desired to apply the improved fastener to old hames which already have one loop secured in their lower ends, it being necessary to secure only one extra single loop to these old hames.. When it is desired to adapt old hames for use with the improved fastener, the extra loop is secured. just above the loop already in place by means of a rivet or screw 10, (shown in Fig. 5,) which is passed through the hame. When these two single loops are employed, the strap is passed back and forth between the hames in the same manner as described in connection with the integral double loops.

It will thus .be seen that the fastening-strap will be connected at one end to the inner loop of one retaining device and at its other end to the outer loop of the other retaining device, the intermediate portion thereof extending back and forth between the two devices in a zigzag manner and forming two loops, one of which engages the inner loop on one retaining device, the other engaging the outer loop of the other retaining device. The cross-bars which extend through the loops in the strap are provided with the loose sleeves to permit the ready adjustment of the strap. The fastening device thus formed will be as readily adjusted as the strap ordinarily employed as a hame-fastener and will' be much. more durable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, of a pair of hames, each being provided with a strap-retaining device at its lower end, each of said strap-retaining devices consisting of a pair of loops depending from the hame and having their strap-engaging bars approximately parallel, and a buckle-connected to one of the bars of one of the strap-retaining devices, an adjustable fastening-strap connected to one of the bars of the other retaining device and adapted to be passed back and forth between the remaining loops in a zigzag manner, whereby the strap will have two points of connection to each hame and the intermediate folded parts will be free to move in opposite directions under an outward strain on the hames and thereby equalize and take up the strain and relieve the buckle connecting the free end of 'thestrap.

2. A hame provided at its lower extremity with a strap-retaining device consisting of a transverse pivot engaging the hame and a pair of depending diverging strap-engaging loops, whose strap-engaging barsare parallel with each other and with the surface of the lower extremity of the hame, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto, affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of July, 1900.

GEO. W. HAYMAN.

Witnesses:

J. H. ORIMMI, G. H. HONNETTER. 

